This archive report was first published on 21 August 2019.
On August 21, 2019, Maryanne Kitany took the stand in court to dispute Mithika Linturi's claims that she was not his wife.
According to Kitany, Linturi officially married her in a traditional ceremony three years ago, on February 14, 2016, in Meru.
‘On February 14, 2016, we were in Meru and Linturi took me with his friends to a hotel and had lunch there and this is where the idea of going to Nandi came up. I was happy because for once we were going to formalise the marriage and had put money and emotions together,’ she told the court.
Kitany claimed that Linturi visited her home a few months later and confirmed that she was the woman he had come to pay dowry for.
‘I was asked to sit down and I sat next to my mother…When the discussions begun, Linturi was asked whether he was married to another woman. He then produced a document indicating that he was divorced. He said he was not married,’ she added.
The court heard that the ceremony involved both Nandi and Meru customary laws, and that Linturi paid dowry in the form of Ksh. 100,000 cash.
‘The elders then confirmed that the marriage was done and I could now be called Linturi’s wife. I was officially declared Mrs. Linturi,’ she said.
Kitany also testified that she began to play her role as Linturi's wife after the ceremony, ensuring he was well-groomed and happy.
‘I made sure he was well groomed, slept well ate good food and did all the functions a wife was supposed to so. I was not under any duress and he was happy introduce me to his friends and relatives as a wife,’ she said.
